It has been found that a medicinal preparation can be applied in a periodontal sense to the teeth and gums by the use of an elongated, flexible, stretchable fiber which incorporates a medicinal preparation. The fiber is used by wrapping it around the base of a tooth near the gum line to apply the medicinal preparation. Such fibers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,144,317 and 4,175,326, and these patents are incorporated herein by reference.
While such fibers are highly satisfactory media for applying the medicinal preparation as described above, a problem arises in the handling of the fiber before use particularly if it is to be provided as an individual unit dosage rather than bulk packaged on a spool, for example. The fiber is difficult to package because of its adhesive qualities, thermo-sensitivity and handling requirements. Because of these problems, a need exists for a package for a fiber of the type described as well as apparatus and method for quickly and economically forming the package. The present invention satisfies this need by providing a novel package which affords adequate protection for the fiber while providing easy access to the fiber when it is ready for use.